A nurse working in a dermatology clinic observes that a patient of Mexican-American descent typically arrives 10 to 15 minutes late to every appointment. Based on an understanding of first-order beliefs, what characteristics can the nurse associate with this level of beliefs?
A) First-order beliefs serve as the basis of a person's belief system.
B) First-order beliefs begin to develop in early adolescence.
C) First-order beliefs are completely formed in childhood.
D) People seldom question their first-order beliefs.
E) Challenging a patient's first-order beliefs may cause cognitive upset.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First-order beliefs serve as the foundation or the basis of an individual's belief system. People begin developing first-order beliefs about what is correct, real, and true in early childhood directly through experiences and indirectly from information shared by authority figures such as parents or teachers. People continue to develop first-order beliefs into adulthood through both direct experiences and the acquisition of knowledge from a vast number of sources with various degrees of expertise and levels of influence. People seldom question their first-order beliefs and rarely replace one, because to do so would require a great deal of rethinking about both that belief and similar or closely associated beliefs. Remember that presenting information to patients that challenges their first-order beliefs may cause a great deal of emotional or cognitive upset.

A Nurse Working in a Dermatology Clinic Observes That a Patient